Job 21:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Blessed Job, in addressing the collective body of the unrighteous, shifts his focus to the chief of all evildoers. PROPHECTIC INTERPRETATION For he foresaw that at the end of days, Satan, who takes hold of man and is designated as Antichrist in Scripture, would rise in such arrogance, exhibiting immense power, performing remarkable signs and wonders, presenting a façade of righteousness, that his actions would escape human judgment; for he mingles the terror of his strength with false signs of holiness, declaring, Who among men can dare to confront him openly, before the one he regards with dread? Yet, not only Elijah and Enoch, who are appointed to confront him boldly, but also all the chosen ones shall condemn his ways in his presence, showing him disdain and standing against his corruption with the strength of their minds. This is possible only through Divine grace, not through their own might, thus he rightly asks, Who shall challenge his conduct in his presence? For who could it be but God, whose assistance empowers the elect to stand against him? In scriptural discourse, the term 'who' can often imply the Almighty. Hence, it is stated, Who shall raise him up? Gen. 49:9, of whom Paul declared, Whom God raised from the dead Gal. 1:1. Therefore, holy individuals do not oppose his wickedness by their own accord to ‘reproach his conduct,’ but through Him who strengthens them by grace; at that time, the presence of this adversary, when he manifests in a person, will bring forth greater terror during persecution than now, when he is unseen, as he has not yet taken on his designated vessel, hence the phrase, before his face. Many today analyze and critique the actions of Antichrist, yet they do so in his absence, condemning one whom they have not yet directly encountered. But when he manifests in that cursed individual, who will stand against his presence, ‘challenge his ways before his face,’ witnessing his both power and vulnerability? Alternatively, to ‘challenge his ways’ may imply the disruption of his fortunes, which will ultimately be curtailed by eternal judgment. Who alone can accomplish this but the Lord, of whom it is written, Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and destroy through the manifestation of His coming, 2 Thess. 2:8, and of whom it is fittingly asked, Who shall challenge his conduct in his presence? Thus follows the question, And who will repay him for what he has done? Who, indeed, save the Lord, who is the sole one capable of recompensing this fallen soul for all his deeds, and when He arrives, will rend him asunder with everlasting condemnation? Let us then consider the status of this high ruler of wickedness during his earthly existence, as the text continues.

Life experience indicates that the wicked both thrive and pass away in peace (29-33). Consequently, Job concludes that their arguments lack a solid basis (34). In this part of the dialogue, Job's friends progress from vague insinuations and accusations regarding his hidden transgressions to explicit denunciations of deceit and arrogance, maintaining their earlier assertion of the inevitable consequence of wickedness by threatening Job with dreadful ruin. In response, Job increasingly asserts his assurance in his integrity and his belief in the fallacies of his friends' reasoning, attributing human joy and sorrow not to moral standing but to the mysterious workings of Divine Providence.